Word-Processor Operation and File Handling
This domain tests the computer-based paper: entering Devanagari through a Unicode input method, choosing and keeping a font, and handling files so that matras, conjuncts and the danda survive saving, exporting and printing.
Input method and fonts
Unicode Devanagari through the InScript layout is the standard for computer-based papers; matras sit on the top row and consonants on the home and bottom rows, so finger discipline transfers but the key map must be relearned. Use a font that is installed on the exam machine - Mangal, Noto Sans Devanagari, Nirmala UI. Kruti Dev and Chanakya are legacy fonts with a different glyph mapping; mixing them in one file produces unreadable output.
File-handling checklist
- Set page size and margins first, then type.
- Save early and often; know Ctrl+S, Ctrl+P, Ctrl+Z and Ctrl+Enter.
- Keep the whole document in one Unicode file; export to PDF before printing so matras and the danda are preserved.
- Turn on formatting marks to catch double spaces and stray tabs.
- Use Find and Replace for repeated faults, such as a full stop at sentence end that should be ।, but check each replacement - matra sequences can behave unpredictably.
Worked example
Text pasted from an old Kruti Dev file appears as Øfo|kFkhZ. The reasoning: those are legacy glyph codes, not Unicode characters, so no font change will fix them; the text must be converted or retyped. Verify with a test string that carries a conjunct, a reph and a matra: क्रिया, द्वितीया, ऋषि, श्रृंखला.
Traps
Saving as .rtf or .doc and losing the Devanagari font; exporting a PDF without embedding fonts; auto-correct silently rewriting typed sequences; leaving spell check set to English, which flags correct Hindi as an error; assuming a print preview on screen matches the printed page.